Coast Capital Savings Fund

To fund research into the causes and treatment of mental illness in British Columbia.

In 2014 Coast Capital Savings Charity Golf Tournament raised $204,373, bringing the total contribution of the annual fundraiser to mental health research in B.C. to more than $1.8 million to date.

The tournament, then in its 13th year, benefits VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation and is part of Coast Capital Savings’ community promise to help build healthy minds by combating depression and other forms of mental illness. Interim Coast Capital Savings president and CEO Don Coulter said the credit union’s dedication to addressing mental health challenges faced by British Columbians stems from both a moral and business imperative.

“Many of us know someone who has experienced the silent suffering and stigma often associated with mental illness,” Coulter said. “Raising funds for research and treatment is a way for us to translate our caring into action. In addition to the personal toll, mental illness carries significant business and economic costs and we hope the funds raised through the Coast Capital Savings Charity Golf Tournament will help advance the important work being done by researchers in this area.”

Monies raised through the Coast Capital Savings Charity Golf Tournament over the years have gone to support mental health research at the University of British Columbia. Dr. William Honer, head of psychiatry at UBC and director of the university’s Institute of Mental Health, said public funding is helping researchers make strides in mental health intervention and care.

“The outstanding success of the Coast Capital Savings’ Golf Tournament supports clinical research at the UBC and VGH Hospital sites,” Dr. Honer says. “The goals are the “three i’s”: to innovate, incubate, and then integrate advances in the care of mental illness to improve the health of our patients, and create value for the health care system. Carrying this out needs the help of tremendous donor groups like Coast Capital.”

Wayne Berg, Coast Capital’s chief commercial officer and campaign chair for the 2014 tournament, thanked all the individuals and businesses that participated in this year’s event held at Surrey’s Northview Golf and Country Club. He commended the organizations that partnered with the credit union as sponsors noting that such strong community response reflects a growing awareness of the importance of mental health funding and support.

“Several businesses have made significant contributions to this fundraising effort since Coast Capital Savings launched the tournament more than a decade ago and it’s great to see such leadership from the business community,” Berg said. “The success of this year’s event owes in large part to the valuable support of platinum sponsors: CRI Canada, Desjardins Card Services, IDC Worldsource, Landcor Data Corp and SEI investments.

Barbara Grantham, president and CEO of VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, recognized Coast Capital’s longstanding support for the Foundation. “Coast Capital Savings has demonstrated exceptional leadership in the community by mobilizing awareness about mental health and supporting path-finding research that will continue to have a positive impact on individuals and families affected by mental illness,” Barbara Grantham says. “We are grateful for Coast Capital Savings’ longstanding commitment to advancing patient care and research through our hospitals.”

Coast Capital Savings has been at the forefront of efforts in the business sector to drive awareness and action on mental health issues both in the workplace and community for many years. As part of the credit union’s community investments in this area, Coast Capital recently contributed $432,000 towards Fraser Health’s Speak Up campaign, an initiative designed to provide teens and young adults with a voice in the mental health discussion.

Coast Capital Savings is Canada’s second largest credit union, owned by its 512,000 members. It has 50 branches in the Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island regions of British Columbia and has exciting plans to grow. Product innovations include Canada’s first free chequing account from a full-service financial institution. Coast Capital offers one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures™ and was named one of 2014’s BC Top Employers. It is a member of Canada’s Best Managed Companies Platinum Club and an Imagine Canada Caring Company. To learn more, visit www.coastcapitalsavings.com.

For more information, contact:

Corinne Carpenter
UBC Institute of Mental Health
Department of Psychiatry,
University of British Columbia